Australia-class Battleship
Australia, Cascadian Dreadnought laid down 1914 Units: 2 *''CRS Australia'' (ex-REN Fakhr-ad-Din Yussuf) *''CRS Alaska'' (ex-REN Faris ad-Din Aktai) Displacement: 27,747 t light; 29,809 t standard; 32,179 t normal; 34,075 t full load Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep) (630.70 ft / 617.00 ft) x 94.00 ft x (30.00 / 31.50 ft) (192.24 m / 188.06 m) x 28.65 m x (9.14 / 9.60 m) Armament: 9 - 14.00" / 356 mm 52.0 cal guns - 1,620.00lbs / 734.82kg shells, 100 per gun Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1915 Model 3 x 3-gun mounts on centreline ends, majority forward 1 raised mount - superfiring 20 - 6.00" / 152 mm 50.0 cal guns - 114.33lbs / 51.86kg shells, 400 per gun Quick firing guns in casemate mounts, 1914 Model 20 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread 12 hull mounts in casemates- Limited use in heavy seas 12 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm 50.0 cal guns - 14.29lbs / 6.48kg shells, 1,050 per gun Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1914 Model 8 x Single mounts on side ends, evenly spread 8 raised mounts 4 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread 4 double raised mounts Weight of broadside 17,038 lbs / 7,728 kg Main Torpedoes 4 - 21.0" / 533 mm, 23.00 ft / 7.01 m torpedoes - 1.456 t each, 5.825 t total submerged side tubes Armour: - Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg) Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 360.00 ft / 109.73 m 13.00 ft / 3.96 m Ends: Unarmoured Main Belt covers 90 % of normal length - Torpedo Bulkhead - Additional damage containing bulkheads: 3.00" / 76 mm 360.00 ft / 109.73 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m Beam between torpedo bulkheads 71.00 ft / 21.64 m - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max) Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 12.0" / 305 mm 12.0" / 305 mm 2nd: 6.00" / 152 mm 6.00" / 152 mm 6.00" / 152 mm - Protected deck - single deck: For and Aft decks: 6.50" / 165 mm Forecastle: 2.00" / 51 mm Quarter deck: 2.00" / 51 mm - Conning towers: Forward 15.00" / 381 mm, Aft 5.00" / 127 mm Machinery: Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, Direct drive, 4 shafts, 56,000 shp / 41,776 Kw = 23.49 kts Range 9,000nm at 13.00 kts Bunker at max displacement = 4,266 tons Complement: 1,200 - 1,561 Cost: £3.594 million / $14.375 million Distribution of weights at normal displacement: Armament: 3,650 tons, 11.3 % - Guns: 3,638 tons, 11.3 % - Weapons: 12 tons, 0.0 % Armour: 12,198 tons, 37.9 % - Belts: 2,934 tons, 9.1 % - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,119 tons, 3.5 % - Armament: 2,922 tons, 9.1 % - Armour Deck: 4,787 tons, 14.9 % - Conning Towers: 436 tons, 1.4 % Machinery: 2,157 tons, 6.7 % Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,736 tons, 30.3 % Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,432 tons, 13.8 % Miscellaneous weights: 6 tons, 0.0 % - Hull below water: 6 tons Overall survivability and seakeeping ability: Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship): 42,470 lbs / 19,264 Kg = 31.0 x 14.0 " / 356 mm shells or 6.5 torpedoes Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10 Metacentric height 5.4 ft / 1.7 m Roll period: 16.9 seconds Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 % - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.80 Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.19 Hull form characteristics: Hull has a flush deck, a normal bow and a round stern Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.647 / 0.653 Length to Beam Ratio: 6.56 : 1 'Natural speed' for length: 24.84 kts Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 % Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 59 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees Stern overhang: 10.00 ft / 3.05 m Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length): Fore end, Aft end - Forecastle: 15.00 %, 21.00 ft / 6.40 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m - Forward deck: 35.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m - Aft deck: 35.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m - Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m - Average freeboard: 18.18 ft / 5.54 m Ship tends to be wet forward Ship space, strength and comments: Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 89.5 % - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 126.6 % Waterplane Area: 44,320 Square feet or 4,117 Square metres Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 % Structure weight / hull surface area: 190 lbs/sq ft or 929 Kg/sq metre Hull strength (Relative): - Cross-sectional: 0.96 - Longitudinal: 1.44 - Overall: 1.00 Adequate machinery, storage, compartmentation space Excellent accommodation and workspace room Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform Background The Australia-class is the result of an aborted purchase of vessels for the Egyptian Navy. The Sultan, impressed with the performance of the 14" guns on the ''CRS Cascadia'' during the World Cruise Squadron's circumnavigation of the globe, had insisted upon ordering such vessels for his Navy. Moran Brothers of Seattle adopted the 1909-laid ship's design for the Egyptians, modifying it to better match the newest advancements in warships and thus making it over 30,000 tons. However, a year after the ships were laid the Sultan decided he wanted newer ships using a larger 15" gun designed by the British, the famous 15"/42, and demanded the order be canceled. Through delicate negotiation the Egyptians sold the unfinished vessels to the Cascadian Navy and the two ships were modified to fit RCN desires. The Australia and Alaska were thus brought into service, utilizing an all-or-nothing armor scheme and other advancements over the older Cascadia ''and ''Pacifica. Category:SDNW3 Dreadnoughts Category:Cascadian Naval Vessels